Apparatus for selectively marking moving strip



Allg. 11, 1953 K. o. NEANDER ETAL APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY MARKING VMOVING STRIP 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 19,

Aug. 11, 1953 K. owl-:ANDER ETAL APPARATUS FOR SLECTIVELY MARKING MOVING STRIP Filed July 19, 1950 3 Sheet s-Sheet 2 L [mentors: ma 0. /VfAA/fe and 7M/.250 7ZPU7Z Aug. 11, 1953 K. o. NEANDER TAL APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY MARKING MOVING STRIP Filed July 19, 1950 ma 0. MF4/V05@ m'/ ,4M/@0 75% WZ,

@f snaai/k@ Patented Aug. ll, 19.53

APPARATUS FOR SELECTIVELY MARKING MOVING STRIP Karl 0. Neander, McKeesport, and Alfred Teplitz, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application July 19, 1950, Serial No. 174,672

7 Claims. (C1. IOL-92) 'This invention relates to apparatus for applying an identification stamp and brand marking to metal strip at regular intervals as it is being coiled at high speed.

In the manufacture of steel sheets, it is customary to stamp each sheet to provide brand marking as well as identification as to grade of steel, lift number, the plant where made, etc. The stamp can be applied to sheets manually during inspection or oiling. Some users, however, buy sheet steel in the form of coils of strip. Continuous rotary printing devices have been used for marking the strip at intervals, usually during high speed temper rolling. Where large coils are involved, made from lengths of strip rolled from different slabs and welded together for economical processing, it is desirable to identify individually the portions thereof rolled from different slabs. This requires a change in the marking stamp each time a welded joint passes the marking point. Such a change in the continuous printing devices known prior to our invention necessitated that the temper mill be slowed down or stopped since otherwise a considerable length of strip is not stamped, because of the time required to make the change. Both alternatives are objectionable, the former particularly because of the loss of production in the case of modern mills operating at high speed.

We have invented an improved rotary printing device having separate stamp holders individually movable from retracted to printing position during operation of the device so that a change in the identifying stamp may be made without slowing down the temper mill, thus permitting the portions of a coil rolled from different slabs to be designated accordingly, without missing any considerable length of such portions. In a preferred embodiment, we provide a rotatable cylinder adapted to carry a printing plate. In addition to the plate, the cylinder has a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial stamp holders reciprocable from retracted position to printing position. Each holder carries a stamp for identifying one of the slabs in a coil. The cylinder is mounted on a shaft rotating therewith. The

rshaft is slidable axially of the cylinder and is provided with cams or Wedges spaced circumferentially and axially thereof for selectively actuating the radially movable stamp holders from retracted to printing position. The entire device is mounted on a wheeled carriage movable from an out-of-the-way position to a position in which the printing cylinder cooperates with a coil of strip building up on a reel such as that installed at the exit side of a temper mill.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description and explanation which refer to the accompanying drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus as a whole;

Figure 2 is a side elevation;

Figure 3 is an end elevation;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the plane of line IV-IV of Figure 2 and considerablyk enlarged; and

Figure 5 is a section through the cylinderv taken on the plane of line V--V of Figure 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and, for the present, to Figures 1 through 3, the apparatus of our invention includes a supporting frame IIJ fabricated from structura1 members and plate. The frame is composed of legs II, longitudinal members I2 and cross members I3. Each longitudinal member includes a beam I4 and a channel I5 resting thereon. A carriage I6 is composed of longitudinal members I1 and cross members I8 and I9 and is provided with wheels 20 traveling between upper .and lower rails 2| secured to the channels I5 of the frame I0. A pneumatic cylinder and piston 22 mounted on cross memf bers 23 extending between beams I4 has its piston rod 24 pivoted to a bracket secured to cross member I 9 of carriage I6. By this means, the carriage may be advanced from a retracted position to the position shown in solid lines in Figures l and 2 in which printing mechanism mounted on the carriage (to be described in detail shortly) is adapted to cooperate with a coil of strip being built up on a coiling reel indicated at 25. A four-way valve 26 on the frame I0 controls the supply of compressed air to opposite ends of the cylinder 22 through suitable piping, not shown. A locking bar 21 is slidable transversely on one of the longitudinal members I2 of the frame I0 for securing the carriage in retracted position.

A printing cylinder 28 is journaled in bearings 29 mounted on the longitudinal members I1 of the carriage at the forward end thereof. An inking roller 30 mounted on a shaft 3| also journaled in the members I'I, applies ink to the printing surfaces on the cylinder. The construction of the cylinder is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. `As there shown, the cylinder comprises a cup-shaped body portion 32 and a ilanged end plate 33 removably secured thereto by screws 34. The body portion 32 has a trunnion 35 journaled in one of the bearings 29, while the end plate 33 has a similar trunnion 36 journaled in the other bearing. The body portion 32 and the end plate 33 have friction tires 31 thereon of rubber or like material adapted to engage the periphery of the coil on reel 25, whereby rotation of the coil causes the cylinder to turn on its axis. At each revolution, a printing plate 38 on the cylinder makes an impression on the strip being coiled on the reel, after receiving ink from roller 30. This plate may beV used for applyingV theY manufacturers trade-mark as well as any otherV identification data as desired.

A plurality of guide blocks 39 are set in slots spaced circumferentially of theedge of the body portion 32 of the cylinder 28 and are held in place by the end plate 33. A marking device in' the form of a radial plungerl 40=is reciprocable in each guide block and is provided at its outerf end with a stamp holder 4l having astamp 42 therein and at its inner end with a clevis 43 in which is journaled a roller 44. Each plunger has a compression spring 45 thereon between the clevis and the guide block 39 whereby the plunger is constantly urged inwardly. The stamps-42 serve to apply marks designating the different slabs fromY which the several portions of-a large coil were rolled. Any suitable seriesof-letters or numbers may be employed for this purpose'` For selecting the particular one of the stamps to be applied to a givenvvportion of the coil, we provide a shaft 4islidable through trunnions 35 and 36in sleeve-bearings4l therein. The shaft is splined to ti'unnion'38fby akey-llil and thus turns with cylinder 28. The shaft has a series of radial camsor wedges 49 spaced circumferentially and longitudinally intermediate tlieends thereof. so: that by: properly ypositioning the-shaft axially relativeto-the cylinder 28, any one of the plungers 40 maybe projectedtoits marking or printing positionl as'shown inl Figure 4, leaving allofthe other'plung'ers in Yretracted position wherethey clear the strip.

In order to permit a quick change in'the'selectioniof theiradiallyshiftable plungers while the cylinder'iisf rotating at high speed, we mount-a gear-motor-Sdonthe carriage Il. The motor drivesY a gear 5l journaled in'bearings 52. The bore of the gear` is tapped and a screw'53 is threaded therethrough. The end of.A the screw remotefrom thegear is square and slides in-'a bearing 54 voi-similar shape. The screw being thus held against rotation movesaxially when the gearis-driven. Alever orro'ckshaft 55 is pivoted'on brackets 55 mounted' onzone of the members Il ofthe carriage andv extending-'laterally therefrom'. One 'armf 55a of the leveris pivotedto the end of screw4 53 remote .from-the gear l. The other arm 55h ofl the lever is `pivotedto a swivel thrust bearing '51 on'the end of shaft 46.- By the aid of the motorized screw and mechanism-just described, the shaft. 46 may be shiftedaxially as necessary to move' the cams or wedges 49 relative to the rollers 44 so as to shift any selected one of the plungers 40 -outwardly to 1 printing position.

In order to facilitate control of` the motor .50, we provide a'limit switch 58 and a lstudibar '59 cooperating therewith secured to screw'53. The bar 59 has studs spaced therealong, one for each of the'wedges 49. These'istuds serve to operate the switcn to stop the motorv 50 'when the lshaft 451has been moved" to bring the next wedge into position for shifting its vprinting plunger. The switch 58 preferably controlsthe relays and'contactors of thel control panel for the motor 50i-in' theknown mannerto cause the motor. to stop at the properrtime. A push-button switch for starting the motor may be connected in parallel with the switch 58 and is held closed until the stud in engagement with the latter has moved away sufficiently to permit the switch to be restored to normal position. Thereafter, the push-button may be released and the operation of the motor continues until the next stud 60 trips the switch 58.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that, once the apparatus of our invention has been positioned for operation as showniin Figure 2, it is only necessary for the operator to start the motor 50 by means of the push-button switch mentioned above each time a welded joint between adjacent portions of the coil arrives at the reel 25. The resulting operation of motor 5D takes but a few seconds so that marking of the strip, not only with the trade mark and other data which are applied uniformly to the whole coil by plate 38 but also with the slab designation made by one of the stamps 42, results practically without interruption and at regular intervals throughout the full length of the coil. The stamp-changing operation is re- 'peated as required until the entire coil has been wound `on the reel. As the coil builds up on the i'eel 25, the carriage I6 is retracted against'the pressure of the air in the cylinder 22. Whenv the end of the coil is reached, the carriage is fully retracted by manipulation of valve 26 and locked inthat position by bar 21 while the next coil is being-started on the coil. When the carriage has been retracted as described, the motor l50 is reversed to restore the shaft 46 to starting position.

We claim:

l. Apparatus for marking repeatedly a traveling strip, comprising a printing cylinder having trunnions at its ends joui'naled in spaced bearings, a shaft extending axially into the cylinder through one of said bearings and mounted for axial movement relative thereto, a plurality of plungeis spaced ciicumfeientially of said cylinder and mounted for radial movement therein to i and'fiorri printing position, wedgeson the shaft within the cylinder spaced apart axially and circumferentially of the shaft, each positioned to'actuate one of said plungeis selectively to printing position on axial'movement of the shaft to a predetermined position, and means for moving the shaft axially.

2. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterizedv by a reciprocable carriage on which said bearings are mounted and means for advancing aidretracting the carriage toward and from the s rip,

3. The apparatus defined by claim l characterized by said last-mentioned means being swiveled to said shaft.

4. The apparatus defined by claim l characterizedby said last-mentioned means including a motorized screw.

5.` The apparatus deiined by claim l characterized by said shaft being splined to said cylinder.

(i. Apparatus for selectively marking moving strip comprising a cylinder, trunnions extending frointhe ends of the cylinder, spaced bearings in which said trunnions are journaled outwardly opening guide blocks spaced circumferentially of lsaid' drum, a stamp holder reciprocable radially in each block, means constantly urging said holders inwardly, a shaft slidable through said trunnions, wedges spaced longitudinally and circumferentially of said shaft adapted to push said holders outwardly one at a time on sliding move- 5 ment of the shaft in the trunnions, said wedges being substantially in radial alinement with said holders, and means for causing predetermined axial movement of said shaft.

'7. In a rotatable printing cylinder including a 5 plurality of reeiprocable plungers disposed radially thereof adapted to carry printing means and springs normally holding said plungers retracted, the combination therewith of a shaft slidable through the cylinder and rotating therewith, Wedges on the shaft spaced axially and circumferentially thereof adapted to force said plungers singly outward to printing position, said wedges being substantially in radial alinement with said 6 plungers, and means for causing predetermined axial movement of said shaft.

KARL O. NEANDER. ALFRED TEPLITZ.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,067,222 Johnston July 8, 1913 1,196,729 Barroll Aug. 29, 1916 1,526,295 Meisel Feb. 10, 1925 1,791,451 Kohler Feb. 3, 1931 

